Computer-implemented method, mobile device, computer network system, and computer product for optimized audio data provision

ABSTRACT

In one aspect, the present application is directed to a computer-implemented method, a mobile device, a computer network system, and a computer-program product for optimized audio data provision, in an aspect, a computer-implemented method for optimized audio data provision on mobile devices is provided. The method may comprise: 
     evaluating one or more parameters of a network connection of a mobile device; and 
     depending on said evaluation, automatically switching between
         downloading audio data in an audio file from a server in real-time and   downloading audio data in a text file from the server and performing a text-to-speech application of audio data on the mobile device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The description is directed generally to mobile applications, so-calledapps, for tablet computers and/or smartphones and, in particular, to acomputer-implemented method, a mobile device, a computer network system,and a computer-program product for optimized audio data provision.

BACKGROUND

Mobile applications, also called mobile apps or apps, are softwareapplications usually designed to run on mobile devices such assmartphones and/or tablet computers. Mobile apps are usually availablethrough application distribution platforms typically operated by aproducer and/or owner of a mobile operating system such as Apple AppStore, Android Market, and/or BlackBerry App World.

Audio apps for playing, to a user of a mobile device, audio news and/orother audio data which include textual information are becoming popular,recently. However, quality and/or operability of audio apps is oftenlimited due to problems of the network connection of the mobile devicesuch as a low network speed when broadcasting, communicating, and/ordownloading audio data from a server (host) to the mobile device via a(wireless) network, in particular, when the audio data is intended to beplayed (e.g. read out) directly to the user of the mobile device.

Hence, there is a need to provide improved and optimized functionalitywhen communicating and/or downloading audio data to a mobile device.

SUMMARY

According to one general aspect, a computer-implemented method foroptimized audio data provision on mobile devices is provided. The methodmay comprise:

-   -   evaluating one or more parameters of a (one or more) network        connection of a mobile device; and    -   depending on said evaluation, automatically switching between        downloading audio data in an audio file from a server in        real-time and downloading audio data in a text file from the        server and performing a text-to-speech application of audio data        on the mobile device.

In other words, audio data (or data for short) can be downloaded as anaudio file from a server or as a text file from the server. Audio datahence refers to the content of a file such as an audio file or a textfile.

Audio files may be stored on a server in a file format for storingdigital auto data. Audio files may be compressed or uncompressed, rawbitstreams or a container format with a defined storage layer. Audiofile formats may be for example WAV, WavPAck, Apple Lossless, MPEG,Windows Media Audio Lossless, MP3, ATRAC, and/or Windows Media AudioLossy.

Contrary to audio files, text files may be stored on the server in atext file format such as ASCII, MIME, and/or .txt files (having variousdifferent endings such as for example, .rtf, .doc, .xml, .txt, .xsit,etc.). A text file may be a kind of computer file that is structured asa sequence of lines of electronic text. A text file can exist within acomputer file system which may be stored on a server.

Audio data or data, i.e. content of a file which may relate to audiocontent having textual information such as news can be stored in anaudio file and in a text file so that the audio file and the text filemay have the substantially the same textual content.

In order to play (e.g. read out) the content, i.e. the audio data of atext file to a user on a computer device such as a mobile device, theaudio data in the text file can be transformed using a commontext-to-speech application.

A network connection, i.e. a connection of a mobile device such as asmartphone or a tablet computer to a network for access of a remoteserver of the mobile device 1 is automatically evaluated or analyzed.During evaluation of the network connection, one or more parameters ofthe network connection are considered. The one or more parameters maycomprise a connectivity type (e.g. Bluetooth, WiFi, 3g/UMTS, Edge, LTE)of the network connection, a signal strength, a signal quality (alsoreferred to as link quality), and/or a download speed with regard todownloading a pre-defined file (e.g. a test file having a predefinedsize, for example between 200 and 1000 kbit/s, preferably 600 kbit/s).

Parameters of one or more different network connections of the mobiledevice can be evaluated according to the described method.

Switching between the two download modes according to the describedmethod can be performed either in that the server is requested to sendthe audio file or the text file depending on the evaluation or in thatthe audio file or the text file is provided by the server based on theperformed evaluation.

A fast network connection may be a network connection with an acceptablenetwork speed, for example a network speed of 100 kbit/s or higher. Anacceptable signal strength may be a signal strength of 40 dBμ/m orhigher and an acceptable signal quality may be a signal quality of a BERof 1e06 (i.e. 1 error bit per 1 million bits transferred).

Said automatic analysis and/or evaluation is performed to determinewhether to download the audio data directly in an audio file from theserver in real-time or to download the audio data in a correspondingtext file from the server and transform the downloaded text file using atext-to speech application (also referred to as text-to-speedtransformation or a text-to-speed functionality) supported by the mobiledevice.

The method allows performing an automatic up-front decision whether todownload an audio file (e.g. an MP3 file or an MPEG file) for audio datasuch as audio news and/or other audio data including textual informationdirectly from a server in real-time or to download the correspondingtext file and then to transform the text into speech using atext-to-speech application on the mobile device optimized audio dataprovision on mobile devices. On the one hand, an efficient data downloadfrom the server can be guaranteed in case the evaluation of theparameters results in downloading the text file. On the other hand,audio data is played in high quality to the user of the mobile devicewhen the audio file is downloaded from the server. In other words, anefficient and flexible solution for facing the trade-off between highquality of audio data played to users of mobile devices and fast audiodata download from a server is provided even if only a slow networkconnection is available. The evaluation of the network connectionparameters is efficient since built-in technology of the mobile devicecan be used and a flexible, automatic switch between the two downloadmodes based on the automatic network connection analysis is provided.The switching is flexible and effective since the evaluationautomatically registers changes to a signal strength and/or in aconnectivity type of the network connection.

In an aspect, evaluating the parameters is performed by a mobileapplication (or mobile app) installable on the mobile device.

In another aspect, evaluating the parameters is performed by the server.

The server can be a single server or a distributed server environmentcomprising one or more distributed servers such as a server cloud. Theserver may be part of or referred to as a cloud or cloud environment.

In another aspect, evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device may comprise: downloading a test file fromthe server; and checking whether a download speed of the downloaded testfile is greater than a threshold.

In yet another aspect, if the download speed of the downloaded test fileis greater than the threshold, the audio data may be downloaded in theaudio file from the server in real-time.

In yet another aspect, evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device may comprise: analyzing a signal strengthof the network connection; and setting the threshold depending on thesignal strength of the network connection.

In yet another aspect, evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device may comprise: analyzing a signal qualityof the network connection.

In yet another aspect, evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device may comprise: notifying a change to asignal strength of the network connection; and checking whether thechanged signal strength is greater than a pre-defined value for anetwork connection signal strength.

In yet another aspect, evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device may comprise: checking a connectivity typeof the network connection.

In yet another aspect, if the connectivity type is a connectivity typehaving a slow network speed (i.e. not a fast network speed, for examplea network speed of less than 100 kbit/s), the audio data may bedownloaded in the text file from the server and performing atext-to-speech transformation of the audio data on the mobile device.

For example, in case the connectivity type is not WiFi-based, the audiodata may be downloaded in the text file from the server and atext-to-speech transformation of the audio data is performed on themobile device by the built-in text-to-speech application (orfunctionality) supported by the mobile device. Otherwise, if theconnectivity type is a WiFi-based connection, evaluation of the one ormore parameters according to the described method may be performed.

In yet another aspect, the method as described may be implemented as amobile application installable on a mobile device.

According to another general aspect, a mobile device for optimized audiodata provision is provided. The mobile device may comprise:

a mobile application installed on the mobile device, wherein the mobileapplication is operable to perform the method as described.

According to another general aspect, a computer network system foroptimized audio data provision is provided, the computer network systemmay comprise:

a mobile device having installed thereon a mobile application;

a server storing audio data in an audio file and in a corresponding textfile executable by a text-to-speech application; and

a network operable to connect the mobile device with the server, whereineither the server or the mobile application is operable to perform themethod as described.

In another general aspect there is provided a computer-program productcomprising computer readable instructions, which when loaded and run ina computer system and/or computer network system, cause the computersystem and/or the computer network system to perform a method asdescribed.

The subject matter described in this specification can be implemented asa method or as a system or using computer program products, tangiblyembodied in information carriers, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, asemiconductor memory, signal and/or data stream, and a hard disk. Suchcomputer program products may cause a data processing apparatus toconduct one or more operations described in this specification.

In addition, the subject matter described in this specification can alsobe implemented as a system including a processor and a memory coupled tothe processor. The memory may encode one or more programs that cause theprocessor to perform one or more of the method steps or actionsdescribed in this specification. Further the subject matter described inthis specification can be implemented using various MRI machines.

Details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanyingexemplary drawings and exemplary description below. Other features willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary block diagram of a computer network system foroptimized audio data streaming.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary flow diagram of a computer-implemented methodfor optimized audio data streaming when starting an associated audioapp.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary flow diagram a computer-implemented method foroptimized audio data streaming when running an associated audio app.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary computer system and/or computer network systemfor implementing a computer network, a computer system, and acomputer-implemented method as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, a detailed description of examples will be given withreference to the drawings. It should be understood that variousmodifications to the examples may be made, In particular, elements ofone example may be combined and used in other examples to form newexamples.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary computer network system within which optimizedaudio data provision on mobile devices can be provided and implemented.Audio data include audio news and/or other audio data which includetextual information. Audio data can be played (e.g. read out) to a userof a mobile device which supports an audio interface. Contrary to datasuch as music, data such as audio news (referred to herein as audiodata) frequently change due to actuality and are usually directlydownloaded from a server (e.g. a news server) and the user downloadingsuch audio data is usually interested in immediately listening to thedownloaded file. However, due to bandwidth problems of the networkconnection of a mobile device such as a weak signal strength, a lowdownload speed, a rather unacceptable signal or link quality, and/or aconnectivity type with a slow download speed, quality of audio datalistening is often unsatisfied.

Optimized audio data provision as described below with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, may be implemented as a mobile app 10. The terms “mobileapp” and “app” are used interchangeable in the present application. Theapp 10 can be downloaded, installed and/or run on a mobile device 1 suchas a tablet computer and/or a smartphone. The app 10 can be downloadedand installed from an application distribution platform.

The app 10 may be referred to as a switch app 10 associated with anaudio app 12 so that the switch app 10 automatically starts when theaudio app 12 is started, runs while the audio app 12 is running and/oris automatically finished when the audio app 12 is finished. The switchapp 10 can be implemented as part of an audio app 12 or separate frombut connect to the audio app 12 so that the switch app 10 automaticallystarts when the audio app 12 is started, runs while the audio app 12 isrunning and/or is automatically finished when the audio app 12 isfinished.

The mobile device 1 supports Internet-connected applications and/orbrowser-based access to the Internet and/or the World Wide Web and canbe connected to a network 2 (preferably, a wireless network) through anetwork connection. The network connection may be, for example WiFibased, UMTS/3G based, LTE based, and/or Edge based. In one example, themobile device 1 is connected over the network 2 with a server (or host)3. The mobile device 1 may have installed thereon one or more mobileapps 10, 12.

One app 12 of the apps 10, 12 installed on the mobile device 1 may be anaudio app 12 for audio news listing of news data which can be downloadedfrom the server 3 to the mobile device 1 via the network 2, i.e. over anetwork connection. Audio data which can be consumed by a user of themobile device 1 through the audio app 12 may be audio news and/or otheraudio data including textual information, wherein the text of the audiodata can be read out to the user through the audio app 12 on the mobiledevice 1.

Another app 10 of the apps 10, 12 is associated with the audio app 12for optimizing audio data provision on the mobile device 1 whenaccessing the server 3 to download audio data which include textualinformation from the server 3 to the mobile device 1 over the network 2.

The server 3 may be a news server storing audio data. Audio data may bestored on the server 3 in an audio file 30 and in a corresponding textfile 32. In other words, content of news (audio data) can be stored in atext file 32 and in a corresponding audio file 30.

Text files 32 may be stored on e server 3. To play (e.g. read out) audiodata stored in the text file 32 in an electronic manner to a user of themobile device 1, a transformation of tile content or data (the audiodata as stored in the text file) using available text-to-speechfunctionality such as the text-to-speech transformation tools (alsoreferred to as text-to-speech applications) supported and/or provided bydifferent mobile operating systems including Android, iOS, WindowsMobile/Phone, Symbian, BlackBerry BBX, BlackBerry 6 OS, BlackBerry 7 OS,etc is used. Text-to-speech applications convert normal language text(e.g. audio data stored in a text file 32) into speech.

Audio files 30 may be stored on the server in a file format for storingdigital auto data. Audio files may be compressed or uncompressed, rawbitstreams or a container format with a defined storage layer. Audiofile formats may be for example WAV, WavPAck, Apple Lossless, MPEG,Windows Media Audio Lossless, MP3, ATRAC, and/or Windows Media AudioLossy,

In operation, when a user activates the audio app 12 on the mobiledevice 1, the switch app 10 may automatically start. Alternatively oradditionally, the switch app 10 may periodically check the networkconnection of the mobile device 1 so that when the audio app 12 isstarted, audio data is downloaded based on the analysis of the networkconnection as performed by the switch app 10 according to a method asdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Basically, the switch app 10 is operable to analyze the networkconnection of the mobile device 1 by evaluating one or more parametersof the network connection. Said automatic analysis and/or evaluation isperformed to determine whether to download the audio data directly in anaudio file 30 from the server 3 in real-time or to download the audiodata in a corresponding text file 32 form the server and transform thedownloaded text file using text-to speech transformation supported bythe mobile device 1.

The audio file 30 can be directly played to the user, for examplethrough the audio app 12, and the text file 32 is converted into speechand played to the user using a text-to-speech transformation providedwith the mobile device 1.

The one or more parameters may comprise a connectivity type (e.g. WiFi,3g/UMTS, Edge, LTE) of the network connection, a signal strength, asignal quality (also referred to as link quality), and/or a downloadspeed with regard to downloading a pre-defined file (e.g. a test filehaving a predefined size, for example between 100 and 2000 kbit or 200and 1000 kbit, preferably 600 kbit).

A signal strength may be a measure of the amplitude of the signal thatis received at the mobile device 1 over the network connection. A signal(or link) quality may measure the number of packet errors that occurduring a data download. For example, the closer a mobile device 1 is toan access point of a WiFi network connection, the higher will be thesignal strength, however, the mobile device 1 might have a low signalquality due to a microwave oven and/or a mobile phone in the areacausing interference. Conversely, a mobile device 1 may be far away froman access point in a WiFi network connection and therefore receive a lowsignal strength, but a high signal quality due to the absence of anyradio frequency inference, for example.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary implementation of a method for checking anetwork connection of a mobile device to a network. The method may beimplemented as part of a mobile app such as the switch app 10. Themobile app 10 may be activated when a user of the mobile device 1requests a download of audio data including textual information such asaudio news using an audio app 12, when a user activates the mobile 10,for example, by clicking on an icon identifying the app 10, and/or themobile app 10 automatically, e.g. periodically, evaluates, checks,and/or analysis the network connection of the mobile device 1 havinginstalled the app 10.

At S1, a connectivity type check of a network connection of a mobiledevice 1 having installed thereon the switch app 10 is performed. Theconnectivity type check determines the current (wireless) networkavailable for the mobile device 1. An available network may include aWiFi-based network, a 3G/UMTS-based network, an Edge-based network, aLTE-based network etc. It is determined, whether the currently availableconnectivity type can be determined. Built-in functionality of themobile operating system implemented on the mobile device 1 can be usedto check the connectivity type of the mobile device 1. For example, incase the mobile operating system of the mobile device is Android,Android's NetworkInfo class, which describes the status of a networkinterface of a given type (e.g. “mobile” or “WiFi”) can be implementedto check for the connectivity type.

If, at S1, the connectivity type cannot be determined, a customizationcheck is performed by downloading a test file which may, for example,have a size between 400 and 1000 kbit/s, preferably 600 kbit/s, S2.Having downloaded the test file from a server 3 over the network 2, theswitch app 10 determines whether the download speed of the test file isgreater than a predefined threshold, S3. In an example implementation,the threshold is defined as a download speed of 100 kbit/s. Thethreshold may have another value, such as a value between 50 kbit/s to300 kbit/s, or between 80 kbit/s to 200 kbit/s. In particular thethreshold may be one of 90 kbit/s, 120 kbit/s, 140 kbit/s, 180 kbit/s,200 kbit/s.

In case the download speed with which the test file is downloaded isgreater than the pre-defined threshold, audio data requested by a user,for example via an audio app 12, is directly downloaded as an audio file30 from the server 3, S3. Otherwise, if the download speed with whichthe test file is downloaded is less than or equal to the pre-definedthreshold, an audio file requested by a user, for example via an audioapp 12, is downloaded as a text file 32 from the server and the audiodata is played to the user from the text file 32 using a text-to-speechfunctionality supported by the mobile operating system of the mobiledevice 1.

If, at S1 the connectivity type can be determined, it is determined,whether the connectivity type of the network connection of the mobiledevice 1 relates to a fast network connection having a good networkspeed, e.g. a network speed of at least 100 kbit/s such as a WiFi-basednetwork, S5.

At S5, in case the connectivity type is a fast network connection, asignal strength analysis of the network connection is performed.Functionality supported and/or provided by the underlying mobileoperating system of the mobile device 1 can be used to execute and/orperform a signal strength analysis of the detected network connection.For example, if a WiFi-based network connectivity type is determined atS5 and if the mobile operating system of the mobile device 1 is Android,Android's WifiManager and WifiInfo classes can be implemented to check asignal strength of the determined connectivity type. The WifiManagerclass provides a primary API for managing several aspects of Wi-Ficonnectivity. Basically, the WifiManager class provides an API formanaging access point scan. The WifiInfo class describes the state of aWiFi connection that is active or is in the process of being active.Basically, the WifiInfo class may allow determining the link speed ofthe connection in Mbps.

In addition to an analysis of the signal strength of the determinedconnectivity type, the switch app 10 may also download a test file fromthe server 3 at S5. Similar to step S3, the test file may have apre-defined size and a test is performed whether the test file isdownloaded with a download speed greater than a pre-defined threshold.The threshold may be set depending on a signal strength of the networkconnection. For example, in case of a high or acceptable signal strength(e.g. 40dBμ/m or higher), the threshold is lowered (e.g. from 120 kbit/sto 100 kbit/s).

If an outcome of the signal strength analysis and/or the test of thetest file download compared to the pre-defined threshold value ispositive, the requested audio data is downloaded directly as an audiofile 30 from the server 3 in real-time, S3. Otherwise, the requestedaudio data is downloaded as a text file 32 from the server 3 and playedto the user through a built-in text-to-speech functionality of themobile operating system running on the mobile device 1, S4 and 36.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary implementation of the switch app 10 when asignal strength change with regard to a network connection of a mobiledevice 1 to a network 2 is detected. The switch app 10 may supportautomatic monitoring of a change in specific telephony states on themobile device 1, including a service state and/or a signal strength.

The switch app 10 automatically notifies (or detects) a change to apreviously determined signal strength of the network connect of themobile device 1, S10. In an exemplary implementation, the underlyingmobile operating system of the mobile device 1 is Android, Android'sPhoneStateListner class for monitoring changes in specific telephonystates on the mobile device 1 including service state, signal strength,and/or message waiting indicator (voicemail) may be implemented toautomatically determine and/or notify a change to the signal strength.It is checked, whether the changed or new signal strength is stillacceptable to directly download audio data as audio files 30 from theserver 3 via the network 2. An acceptable signal strength may be asignal strength of a network of at least 40 dBμ/m.

In case the new signal strength is still acceptable, a connectivity typecheck is performed, S20 in order to determine a final quality of thenetwork connection 2 of the mobile device 1 to the server 3, S30.Checking the connectivity type of the notified new signal strength maycomprise performing one or more or all steps S1 to S6 as described withreference to FIG. 2. Having checked the connectivity type, at S30, it ischecked whether a signal quality (also referred to as a link quality) ofthe network connection is acceptable. The signal quality may be asignal-to-noise ratio and/or expressed in terms of a bit error rate(BER). An acceptable signal quality may relate to a BER of 1e06 (i.e. 1bit per 1 million bits transmitted).

In case the signal quality is acceptable, audio data can be downloadeddirectly as an audio file 30 from the server 3 via the network 2, S30,Otherwise, if the quality of the notified new signal strength isdetermined not to meet the criteria to download an audio file, audiodata can be downloaded as a text file 32 from the server 3 via thenetwork 2 to the mobile device 1 and played to the user using a built-intext-to-speech functionality.

In case the new notified signal strength is no longer acceptable, forexample, if the notified signal strength is below a pre-definedthreshold value, S40, the switch app 10 determines whether the availablenetwork 2 is a fast network 2 (e.g. a network connection with a networkspeed of at least 100 kbit/s, for example a WiFi based network, a LTEbased network, and/or a 3G/UMTS based network), S40. At S40, in case thedetermined network connection is a fast network connection, the fastnetwork connection is analyzed, preferably in combination with adownload of a test file from the server 3. At S40, one or more or all ofthe steps relating to S5 of FIG. 2 can be implemented at S40.

At S50, a signal quality of the network connection is evaluated. If thequality of the signal is acceptable (e.g. a BER of 1e06 or less), audiodata is downloaded in a audio file 30 from the server 3 in real-time.Otherwise, audio data is downloaded in a corresponding text file 32 andplayed to the user using a built-in text-to-speech transformationfunctionality of the mobile device 1.

In case no fast network connection is determined, S60, audio data isdownloaded in a corresponding text file 32 and played to the user usinga built-in text-to-speech of the mobile device 1.

The methods described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 can be implementedin alternatively and/or in combination as a mobile app installable on amobile device.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary system for implementing the inventionincluding a general purpose computing device in the form of aconventional computing environment 920 (e.g. a personal computer). Theconventional computing environment includes a processing unit 922, asystem memory 924, and a system bus 926. The system bus couples varioussystem components including the system memory 924 to the processing unit922. The processing unit 922 may perform arithmetic, logic and/orcontrol operations by accessing the system memory 924. The system memory924 may store information and/or instructions for use in combinationwith the processing unit 922. The system memory 924 may include volatileand non-volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM) 928 and aread only memory (ROM) 930. A basic input/output system (BIOS)containing the basic routines that helps to transfer information betweenelements within the personal computer 920, such as during start-up, maybe stored in the ROM 930. The system bus 926 may be any of several typesof bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, aperipheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of busarchitectures.

The personal computer 920 may further include a hard disk drive 932 forreading from and writing to a hard disk (not shown), and an externaldisk drive 934 for reading from or writing to a removable disk 936. Theremovable disk may be a magnetic disk for a magnetic disk driver or anoptical disk such as a CD ROM for an optical disk drive. The hard diskdrive 932 and the external disk drive 934 are connected to the systembus 926 by a hard disk drive interface 938 and an external disk driveinterface 940, respectively. The drives and their associatedcomputer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules and other data for thepersonal computer 920. The data structures may include relevant data forthe implementation of the method for optimized audio data streaming, asdescribed above. The relevant data may be organized in a database, forexample a relational database management system or an object-orienteddatabase management system.

Although the exemplary environment described herein employs a hard disk(not shown) and an external disk 936, it should be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that other types of computer readable media which canstore data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes,flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memories, readonly memories, and the like, may also be used in the exemplary operatingenvironment.

A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk, externaldisk 936, ROM 930 or RAM 928, including an operating system (not shown),one or more application programs 944, other program modules (not shown),and program data 946. The application programs may include at least apart of the functionality as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3.

A user may enter commands and information, as discussed below, into thepersonal computer 920 through input devices such as keyboard 948 andmouse 950. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone (orother sensors), joystick, game pad, scanner, or the like. These aridother input devices may be connected to the processing unit 922 througha serial port interface 952 that is coupled to the system bus 926, ormay be collected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port interface954, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). Further, information maybe printed using printer 956. The printer 956 and other parallelinput/output devices may be connected to the processing unit 922 throughparallel port interface 954. A monitor 958 or other type of displaydevice is also connected to the system bus 926 via an interface, such asa video input/output 960. In addition to the monitor, computingenvironment 920 may include other peripheral output devices (not shown),such as speakers or other audible output.

The computing environment 920 may communicate with other electronicdevices such as a computer, telephone (wired or wireless), personaldigital assistant, television, or the like. To communicate, the computerenvironment 920 may operate in a networked environment using connectionsto one or more electronic devices. FIG. 4 depicts the computerenvironment networked with remote computer 962. The remote computer 962may be another computing environment such as a server, a router, anetwork PC, a peer device or other common network node, and may includemany or all of the elements described above relative to the computingenvironment 920. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 4 include alocal area network (LAN) 964 and a wide area network (WAN) 966. Suchnetworking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-widecomputer networks, intranets and the Internet and may particularly beencrypted.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computing environment 920may be connected to the LAN 964 through a network I/O 968. When used ina WAN networking environment, the computing environment 920 may includea modem 970 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN966. The modem 970, which may be internal or external to computingenvironment 920, is connected to the system bus 926 via the serial portinterface 952. In a networked environment, program modules depictedrelative to the computing environment 920, or portions thereof, may bestored in a remote memory storage device resident on or accessible toremote computer 962. Furthermore other data relevant to the method foroptimization of evaluation of a policy (described above) may be residenton or accessible via the remote computer 962. It will be appreciatedthat the network connections shown are exemplary and other means ofestablishing a communications link between the electronic devices may beused.

The above-described computing system is only one example of the type ofcomputing system that may be used to implement the method for optimizingaudio data streaming.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 mobile device

2 network

3 server

10 switch app

12 audio app

30 mp3 file

32 text file

S1-S6 connectivity check

S10-S60 notification of change in a signal strength

920 conventional computing environment

922 processing unit

924 system memory

926 system bus

928 random access memory (RAM)

930 read only memory (ROM)

932 hard disk drive

934 external disk drive

936 removable disk

938 hard disk drive interface

940 external disk drive interface

944 one or more application programs

946 program data

948 keyboard

950 mouse

952 serial port interface

954 parallel port interface

958 printer

958 monitor

960 video input/output

962 remote computer

964 local area network (LAN)

966 wide area network (WAN)

968 network I/O

970 a modem

1. Computer-implemented method for optimized audio data provision onmobile devices (1), the method comprising: evaluating one or moreparameters of a network connection of a mobile device (1); and dependingon said evaluation, automatically switching between downloading audiodata in an audio file (30) from a server (3) in real-time anddownloading audio data in a text file (32) from the server (3) andperforming a text-to-speech application of audio data on the mobiledevice (1).
 2. Computer-implemented method according to claim 1, whereinevaluating one or more parameters of a network connection of a mobiledevice (1) comprises: downloading a test file from the server (3); andchecking whether a download speed of the downloaded test file is greaterthan a threshold.
 3. Computer-implemented method according to claim 2,wherein if the download speed of the downloaded test file is greaterthan the threshold, downloading the audio data in the audio file (30)from the server (3) in real-time.
 4. Computer-implemented methodaccording to claim 3, wherein evaluating one or more parameters of anetwork connection of a mobile device (1) comprises: analyzing a signalstrength of the network connection; and setting the threshold dependingon the signal strength of the network connection. 5.Computer-implemented method according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device (1) comprises: analyzing a signal qualityof the network connection.
 6. Computer-implemented method according toany one of the preceding claims, wherein evaluating one or moreparameters of a network connection of a mobile device (1) comprises:notifying a change to a signal strength of the network connection; andchecking whether the changed signal strength is greater than apre-defined value for a network connection signal strength. 7.Computer-implemented method according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein evaluating one or more parameters of a networkconnection of a mobile device (1) comprises: checking a connectivitytype of the network connection.
 8. Computer-implemented method accordingto claim 8, wherein if the connectivity type is a connectivity typehaving a slow network speed, downloading the audio data in the text file(32) from the server (3) and performing a text-to-speech application ofthe audio data on the mobile device (1).
 9. Computer-implemented methodaccording to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method isimplemented as a mobile application (10) installable on a mobile device(1).
 10. Computer-implemented method according to claim 9, whereinevaluating the parameters is performed by the mobile application (10) orby the server (3).
 11. Mobile device (1) for optimized audio dataprovision, the mobile device (1) comprising: a mobile application (10)installed on the mobile device (1), wherein the mobile application (10)is operable to perform a method according to any one of the precedingclaims.
 12. Computer network system for optimized audio data provision,the computer network system comprising: a mobile device (1) havinginstalled thereon a mobile application (10); a server (3) storing audiodata in an audio file (30) and in a corresponding text file (32)executable by a text-to-speech application of the mobile device (1); anda network (2) operable to connect the mobile device (1) with the server(3), wherein the system is operable to perform a method according to anyone of claims 1 to
 10. 13. Computer network system according to claim12, wherein the mobile application (10) or the server (3) is operable toperform a method according to any one of claims 1 to
 10. 14. Computerprogram product comprising computer readable instructions, which whenloaded and run in a computer system and/or computer network system,causes the computer system and/or the computer network system to performoperations according to a method of any one of claims 1 to 10.